Question

As you read these laws, you can see what issues were bothering the lawmakers. We can also see what was common in the Hittite society: slavery, assault, murder, theft, witchcraft, even divorce and matters of love.
Questions:
How do the different rights of men and women appear? What kinds of punishments are recommended by these laws? Do these laws help you see modern society in a different light? Write 150 words considering these laws, society, and history. Feel free to talk about the laws together or to isolate one or two of them and talk about them by giving the number of the law you are discussing.
The Code of Nesilim, ca. 1650-1500 BCE
The Hittites were a civilization in the region of modern-day Turkey. They used their written language to write down a legal code, referring to themselves as “Nesilim.” The following are a few of their laws. Do you recognize any laws from our society today? Are any laws different?
1. If anyone slay a man or woman in a quarrel, he shall bring this one. He shall also give four persons, either slave men or women, he shall let them go to his home.
2. If anyone slay a male or female slave in a quarrel, he shall bring this one and give two persons, either slave men or women, he shall let them go to his home.
3. If anyone smite a free man or woman and this one die, he shall bring this one and give two persons, he shall let them go to his home.
4. If anyone smite a male or female slave, he shall bring this one also and give one person, he shall let him or her go to his home.
5. If anyone slay a merchant of Hatti, he shall give one and a half pounds of silver, he shall let it go to his home.
6. If anyone blind a free man or knock out his teeth, formerly they would give one pound of silver, now he shall give twenty half-shekels of silver.
8. If anyone blind a male or female slave or knock out their teeth, he shall give ten half-shekels of silver, he shall let it go to his home.
10. If anyone injure a man so that he cause him suffering, he shall take care of him. Yet he shall give him a man in his place, who shall work for him in his house until he recovers. But if he recover, he shall give him six half-shekels of silver. And to the physician this one shall also give the fee.
20. If any man of Hatti steal a Nesian slave and lead him here to the land of Hatti, and his master discover him, he shall give him twelve half-shekels of silver, he shall let it go to his home.
21. If anyone steal a slave of a Luwian from the land of Luwia, and lead him here to the land of Hatti, and his master discover him, he shall take his slave only.
24. If a male or female slave run away, he at whose hearth his master finds him or her, shall give fifty half-shekels of silver a year.
31. If a free man and a female slave be fond of each other and come together and he take her for his wife and they set up house and get children, and afterward they either become hostile or come to close quarters, and they divide the house between them, the man shall take the children, only one child shall the woman take.
32. If a slave take a woman as his wife, their case is the same. The majority of the children to the wife and one child to the slave.
33. If a slave take a female slave their case is the same. The majority of children to the female slave and one child to the slave.
34. If a slave convey the bride price to a free son and take him as husband for his daughter, nobody dare surrender him to slavery.
36. If a slave convey the bride price to a free son and take him as husband for his daughter, nobody dare surrender him to slavery.
164. If anyone come for borrowing, then make a quarrel and throw down either bread or wine jug, then he shall give one sheep, ten loaves, and one jug of beer. Then he cleanses his house by the offering. Not until the year has elapsed may he salute again the other's house.
170. If a free man kill a serpent and speak the name of another, he shall give one pound of silver; if a slave, this one shall die.
190. If a man and a woman come willingly, as men and women, and have intercourse, there shall be no punishment.
197. If a man rape a woman in the mountain, it is the man's wrong, he shall die. But if he rape her in the house, it is the woman's fault, the woman shall die. If the husband find them and then kill them, there is no punishing the husband.